We'll Never Forget
by Legend96
Summary: 3.Oct.11 series, Part Two. Alphonse realizes what exactly today is. After a phone call to home, he explains to Mei what October 3rd is to him. Slight AlMei.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Arakawa-Sensei does. B| And she is amazing.**

He stared down at his hands, fingers bent inwards on the ground in the sudden realization of the date. _How is it October already_, he wondered. His eyes were wide, not at all focused on the Alkahestric array below his clenched hands.

"Alphonse?" a sweet voice asked. He glanced up, hair falling over his face. He could tell the slightly frantic look on his face worried her – worried the friend and tutor named Mei. She stood from her kneeling position and sat down next to him.

The little panda bear followed her movements, but placed her tiny paws on one of the high tension hands. "It's October third," he whispered to himself. His eyes met Mei's. Mei blinked in confusion, and he plucked the panda bear from the ground, gently handing the creature to the other human.

"Al…?" Mei asked again, but he's already walking back towards the larger than normal home. He's already storming his way up the steps, looking for a phone. Finally he reached the hallway where it was, and he stood in front of it.

He was terrified of calling home. But he had to.

Tentatively he picked up the phone, vaguely aware that Mei and Xiao Mei had just arrived, panting, and watching him dial the number of the Rockbell Automail shop. On the third ring, there was an answer, and it was a female's voice.

"_Rockbell Automail. How may we help you?_"

"Winry? It's Al."

"_Al? How have you been?_"

"I'm fine. I – I just need to know. Is Brother there?"

There was a sigh on the other end, and Al glanced back to the worried look on Mei's face. "Alphonse, what's happening?" she asked. He shook his head, mouthing, "I'll tell you later." Mei nodded, but stayed near, holding a finger over her lips to the servants who bustled in and out of the hallway.

Al heard Winry's shout to Edward over the phone, a grumble, and then, "_What you want?_"

Al laughed flat out in the phone. "Always a way with words, Brother."

"_Al? I thought you were learning Alkahestry from the little bean girl! What are you doing calling me?_"

Al sighed this time. And rolled his eyes towards Mei, letting her know his brother had just said something slightly stupid. "I called to make sure you knew what today was…"

Silence on the other end. He waited with baited breath for his brother's answer, to hear that Ed was okay and really wasn't letting himself drown in anything too miserably. He listened to Winry's worried questions on the other end, and then almost laughed in sheer relief when his brother answered.

"_Yeah, Al, I know what today is. I went and visited Mom. And the house._"

"You didn't go alone, did you? I'm sorry I couldn't be there."

"_Winry went with me. Cried while she was at it, but she went with – OW! What the hell was that for, woman?_"

Al laughed at Winry's comments and the sure fire argument. The argument that Ed really was okay, and that they hadn't forgotten, but simply decided not to let it cloud them. He nodded into the phone, and smiled when Ed came back onto the line.

"_Damn woman hit me with her wrench again._"

"I figured. When, exactly, did you plan on actually getting together with her, though?"

"…_When did you plan on getting together with the bean girl?_"

Al flushed and sputtered into the phone, shaking his head and then ended up laughing again. _"_Nice try, Brother. You're not turning this around on me. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and something tells me you are."

"_Yeah, yeah. You planning on visiting home soon?_"

"I think so." He glanced back at Mei, at the confused look on her and Xiao Mei's faces. "If you don't mind my Alkahestry teacher coming along as well." He grinned as he listened to the obviously Ed trying to compose himself. "_I…I don't mind._"

"Good. Tell Winry I said I'd be home within the month. I'll see you soon, Brother."

"_See ya, Al._"

The line went dead, and Al placed the phone back down with a soft sigh and a smile. He faced Mei then, and walked with her to sit on the steps outside. She stayed silent for a moment before asking, "What's so important about today?"

Al smiled, a dry smile that held a slightly bitter meaning. A smile that was more than "just a little" bittersweet. He didn't answer for a moment, instead choosing to lay one hand out, hoping she'd take it. She did, placing her hand over his. His fingers wrapped around hers, gave a squeeze, and held on.

"October third is the day we burned down our house, the day we left home, and the day everything started."

Mei didn't interject.

"It's the day that started everything…the day we actually got up and left. We burned down our house so we wouldn't have a home to go back to. Ed did it so he wouldn't force himself to look back. I went along with it, because, well, after everything that had happened, it seemed like burning it would make the pain go away.

"It didn't work of course, the memories are still there. But today just isn't a sad day for me. It's not just the day we lost our home to fire or the day we left home. It's more the day that we set out and did something great. More the day that started everything, that started the chain events that led us to where we are now."

He glanced at Mei and saw her smiling up at him.

"Alphonse-Sama, you really are amazing." She stretched a bit and placed a kiss to his cheek, smiling all the while. He flushed a bit and smiled back at her, standing. He pulled her to her feet, and said, "And the best part is, we never forgot home."

"No, Al," Mei says, guiding him back to the Alkahestry lesson site. "It's that you'll never forget."

He laughs. "Yeah. We'll never forget."

**AN: .11 series, Part 2. **

**Now we have Al. ****Who was always the optimist and never the pessimist. He doesn't get enough love and really does deserve more than what he gets. I mean - SOMEHOW - he's so huggable even when he's that giant suit of armor. And he's absolutely amazing, he really is. **

**And as I have an unhealthy obsession with the Xingnese...well, yeah. I guess you can guess just how much I adore Mei. (Also Xiao Mei. LITTLE PANDA BEAR IS SPECTACULAR.) **

**Debating whether or not to continue the series now that I've got Ed and Al written. **

**Who knows? There might be a Roy and Riza bonus. ;D**

**Enjoy guys.**


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